Labor Relations

Overview

Balancing Strength and Strategy in Labor Relations

Labor relations has been at the heart of Constangy since day one. Today’s labor landscape remains robust and ever-changing. Unions are deploying modern tools and bold tactics to grow membership, organize new sectors, and shape the national conversation. Our attorneys partner with employers across industries nationwide to navigate these developments with clarity and control.

Constangy’s commitment to representing employers navigate labor relations started at our firm’s inception. While our labor practice started in the textile mill industry, the firm’s labor practice has evolved to represent employers in all types of business nationwide. Our team, much like our clients, spans the country and includes former National Labor Relations Board attorneys and private attorneys who have dedicated their entire career to helping employers navigate labor relations issues. Our labor attorneys are relentless, responsive, and ready to react promptly to any labor relations issue that arises for our clients.

Whether you’re facing organizing activity, bargaining a collective bargaining agreement, or managing a union-free workforce, we’re here with strategies that align with your organization’s business and culture.

What Sets Us Apart

We take a thoughtful, results-driven approach to labor relations. Our attorneys pride themselves on being firm but pragmatic—respected by both management and union counterparts. We understand that every organization, union campaign, grievance, unfair labor practice charge, and negotiation is different. Because there is no one size fits all approach to labor relations, we pride ourselves on developing a practical, effective, and results driven approach to each issue and situation. Our attorneys remain hyper vigilant to not only track real time changes in the labor law, but also to analyze those changes and provide strategic guidance to clients in real time.

What We Do

Union awareness and avoidance strategies
Ongoing advice and counsel for managing a unionized workforce
Representation in collective bargaining and labor contract negotiations
Decertification proceedings
Arbitration and grievance handling
Unfair labor practice defense
NLRB litigation and hearings
Union election counseling and training
Labor-related litigation in state and federal courts

We have experience negotiating with unions across the country. Just a few examples of the Unions we have negotiated with include: SEIU, Teamsters, AFL-CIO affiliates, United Auto Workers, NEA, IBEW, CSUEU, UHW, and others across sectors like education, law enforcement, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Why Choose Us

Clients trust us to navigate high-stakes labor matters with calm confidence and real-world sensibility. We help companies foster positive employee relations, minimize risk, and, when needed, engage unions with credibility and strength. Our attorneys ground their advice and strategy in your organization’s goals—and are delivered with the practical mindset that sets Constangy apart.

Union-Free Strategies That Work
We help clients cultivate positive work environments, reducing the chance that employees will feel the need to organize.
Collective Bargaining Strength
We have negotiated contracts nationwide with major unions, protecting management priorities.
Government Insight, Industry Reach
Our team includes former NLRB and DOL lawyers, bringing inside knowledge to every matter.
Labor Relations Across Key Sectors
We are trusted by clients in education, health care, logistics, and public safety to manage complex labor dynamics.

Experience

Matters

Successfully represented one of the largest U.S. school bus operations by pursuing damages claim against Teamsters union under section 303 of National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The case was related to the union's filing of grievances seeking to claim work that was not traditional union work under the applicable collective bargaining agreement. The federal court granted company's motion for summary judgment on liability. The amount of the recoverable damages is still pending.
Successfully represented the largest performing arts center in South Florida and negotiated a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) that reduced amount sought by NLRB by over 80 percent. The initial compliance specification identified in excess of 11 million dollars in potential back pay and other damages.
Successfully resolved two-year investigation involving nationwide unfair labor practice charges filed against one of the largest U.S. quick service restaurant franchisors in six NLRB regions. Resolution of case was negotiated directly with Regional Attorneys, NLRB Division of Advice and NLRB General Counsel.
Represented one of the largest timber management and lumber supply companies in the United States on coordinated multi-facility union negotiations. The strategic approach to this process resulted in successful decertification votes in two of the union facilities, and contract ratifications at other locations.
Successfully negotiated multiple collective bargaining agreements with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and National Nurses United (NNU) for hospital employees of the largest “for profit” healthcare system in the United States.
Developed comprehensive union-avoidance campaign strategy, internal guidelines and campaign materials for major hospitals and health systems, one of the largest tobacco manufacturing operations in the U.S. and multiple large national quick-service restaurant franchisors.
Successfully negotiated a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with SEIU on behalf of the largest health care system in Northern Nevada. The negotiated agreement covered over 1,200 bargaining unit registered nurses and achieved over 5 million dollars in reduced labor cost from that contained in the previous collective bargaining agreement.
Established a seven-lawyer team that was victorious in representing a Fortune 500 manufacturer with the largest union election in the U.S. in 2011.
Successfully met with NLRB General Counsel Richard Griffin and achieved a complete dismissal of massive unfair labor practice (ULP) charge on behalf of one of the largest non-union automobile manufacturers in the US. The charge, which involved over 150 alleged discriminatees, alleged a discriminatory “refusal to hire” and “refusal to consider for hire,” and involved millions of dollars in potential back pay.
Litigated six-week ULP trial involving numerous discharges and alleged unfair labor practice strike – successfully negotiated settlement providing for no back pay and new collective bargaining agreements that took company off a series statewide pattern agreements.
Litigated arbitration case wherein the arbitrator recognized the spoliation doctrine related to a discarded cell phone and text messages. The Communication Workers of America (CWA) were advised of their obligation to preserve evidence early in the proceedings and failed to adhere to the directive.